State parks scandal just keeps expanding

The state auditor’s new review of the scandal at the state Department of Parks and Recreation makes Sacramento look worse and worse. Parks officials began hiding millions of dollars in funding in 1993, years earlier than previously believed. State Finance Department officials got wind of the shenanigans in 1999 and made repeated complaints until 2003 – when they inexplicably stopped caring about the subterfuge.

But the audit doesn’t just further confirm shady and dubious handling of money. It also reveals fundamental management incompetence, The parks scandal resonated so greatly last year because the discovery that the agency was sitting on about $54 million in available funds came after it recommended closing 70 of the state’s 278 parks and letting them be run by nonprofits. As it turns out, those 70 parks were selected by officials who didn’t even have available a basic accounting of what it costs to staff and maintain any individual park.

Such information is crucial to any business or government agency. It allows managers to see which organizational areas are more efficient than others and to help lagging areas improve.

Going forward, taxpayers have to hope state parks officials realize that it’s not just important to be honest. Competent management should be a goal as well.